REGION, December 20th- The United Government Security Officers of America Union, Westminister, Colorado, won the right to represent security workers at the United States Courthouse on Hamilton Street in Allentown.

The Poughkoepsie, New York office of the United Government Security Officers of America union filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region Four office in Philadelphia requesting the agency conduct a election to determine if security workers at several government offices in Pennsylvania, including in Allentown, on October 23rd. However, on November 2nd the Union amended the petition to only include the federal courthouse workers in Allentown.

Under National Labor Relations Board rules at least 30 percent of the unit of employees must support the election before a labor organization can file a petition requesting the agency conduct the election.

Akal Security Inc. provides security services for government buildings in Pennsylvania including the United States Courthouse in Allentown and other Federal Buildings including Reading, which were the two courthouses the petition first requested workers would participate in a election to determine if they wanted to be represented by the union for the purpose of collective bargaining.

The union requested that all full-time and share-time Court Security Officers, Lead Court Security Officers, Special Security Officers, and Lead Special Security Officers, employed by Akal Security Inc. at those two courthouses participate in the election by the NLRB.

Nine of the eleven eligible to participate employees voted for union representation. A labor organization must receive 50 percent plus one of the eligible voting workers in the election to become their bargaining representative.

The union requested that all office clerical employees, professional employees, confidential employees, and supervisors as defined under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRAct) be excluded in participating in the representation election.

The petition was filed on behalf of the union by Travis Mastroddi, 42nd Street in New York City. The petition was discovered by the newspaper while reviewing representation petitions and labor complaints filed at the NLRB Region Four Office.